Separatist leader Yasin Malik arrested, Hurriyat meet blocked

Separatist leader Yasin Malik has been arrested moments after a Hurriyat meeting was prevented by J&K police.

Srinagar: Moments after the Jammu and Kashmir police prevented a meeting that was supposed to be held at Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s residence, reports have emerged that separatist leader Yasin Malik has been arrested.

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) had conducted raids on the residences of separatist leaders on Sunday.

The raids were conducted by the agency in the backdrop of a TIMES NOW investigation, exposing the nexus between Pakistan’s ISI and Hurriyat leaders. The report highlights how Hurriyat received funding from Pakistan ISI via conduits.

"During the searches, a few thousand Pakistani rupees and currencies belonging to the UAE and Saudi Arabia as well as incriminating documents were found and seized," an NIA spokesperson said.

The residences of Ayaz Akbar, spokesperson of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Peer Saifullah were raided. The warehouse of a businessman was also raided in Jammu under suspicion of being involved in a cross-border trade scam.

The NIA alleges that since the Cross-Line of Control trade, at Uri in Kashmir and Chakan-da-bad in Jammu, was based on a barter system, some businessmen "under- or over-invoiced" their bills, and the difference in payment was later used for promoting subversive activities in the valley, according to the Press Trust of India.